A lot of this is now obsolete since UP 1.4 and AoEHD.This is a guide to get you started with AoC and should hopefully troubleshoot most of the common problems that people face when trying to install and play the game.

1.1 - The Installer FreezesIf when installing the game the installer freezes at a certain percentage; this is usually happens when the installer tries to install the fonts. You should try the following:

Start the installer in administrator mode and try to install again.

Install the fonts manually from the \System\Fonts folder on the disc first and then install the rest of the game the normal way.

2.2 - Strange Colours In-GameThe screen is either black or the grass is purple/red. There are various ways to fix the colour bug, this bug is usually caused by the explorer.exe process and can be fixed by suspending this process. There is a long-term fix too:

Download the patch here and follow the instructions. When asked what file to patch select the game executable in the Program Files directory.

2.3 - No In-Game MusicIf you have a pirated version or are using the no-CD patch then the chance is that you won't have any in-game music.

Use the CD to play the game (This is where the music files are stored)

Download the music and play it in a separate media player!

2.4 - Widescreen SupportIn order to play AoC in widescreen you will need to use a patch. You can only use this patch to play offline so if you use voobly or GameRanger then it is recommended that you only use this patch for offline play or you make a copy of the game directory and use the copied version for the patch. The patch can be downloaded here.

In order to play online you will need the same patch as the other people you are playing with to have a trouble-free time. It is recommended that you use the 1.0c patch, this is the most common patch played on GameRanger. You can download the patch here under the Game Updates heading.

If you are playing on Voobly then the first time you enter or host a game room Voobly will automatically update your game version for you to ensure that you are using the correct patch.

4.1 - Recorded GamesIf you want to watch a recorded game then you must ensure that the recorded game that you are trying to watch was recorded using the same game version that you are using (else an out of sync error will pop up). All recorded games from Voobly and the majority from AoCZone will be version 1.0c games, this is why you are recommended to get that patch!

4.1.1 - PlaybackTo watch a recorded game you will need to move the file (.mgx) to this location: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires II\ SaveGame\, once you have done that you will need to launch the game and choose: Single Player >> Saved and Recorded Games.

4.1.2 - TroubleShootingSometimes when you download a recorded game you will receive a .zip file, this file contains the recorded game which needs to be extracted. To open this file you need either WinZIP or WinRAR (both are free), when you extract the recorded game do not extract it to the SaveGame folder else you will get an error message. First extract it to your desktop and then move the recorded game to the SaveGame folder afterwards.

4.2 - ScenariosCustom Scenarios often come with various other files, most will come with a ReadMe explaining what to do. As with recorded games you will be required to go to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires II\ and copy various files there.

5.1 -Skill LevelIf you have been away from the game for a long time or have never played online before then you will probably be in for a shock when you first start playing again. AoC has been around for an extremely long time and so have the players, so the standard is pretty high. Voobly has a new player lobby especially for people who are new to the game, I would highly recommend starting there or at GameRanger where the general skill level of the players is lower. If you are just starting out I would recommend trying maps such as BlackForest or Michi before moving on to harder maps such as Arabia and Megarandom; though this is completely up to you (BlackForest & Michi are no rush maps).

5.2 -GuidesThere are various guides out there to help you on your way. An absolute beginners guide can be found here on AoCZone and some strategy guides can be found here to help you with various strategies.

5.3 -MediaThere is a lot of AoC media out there and I would highly recommend checking some of it out!

5.3.1 -Recorded GamesAnother good way to improve is by watching people better than yourself. You can find many expert recorded games to watch yourself at AoCZone.net and will learn a lot from these games; you can also watch your own games back to see where you are going wrong.

5.3.2 -LiveStreamsThere are various talented players who livestream their games for entertainment and educational purposes! Seeing first hand how experts play can really help you out, some streamers even give live commentaries as well. You can find a complete list of streams here.

5.3.2 -YouTubeAs well as streams there are various Youtubers who bring quality entertainment, guides, tutorials and lots of other good stuff as well.

Hopefully I have covered the essentials, I'm going to take a break now before my mind frazzles but this is an open guide and can be added to as time goes on. If you have any suggestions/ corrections then please leave a comment below saying exactly what should be added or corrected. Help support me & subscribe @ YouTube or follow my WebsiteThank you for your time, and enjoy AoC!

Last edited by ZeroEmpires on Sun Jul 06, 2014 2:58 pm, edited 9 times in total.

If you have been away from the game for a long time or have never played online before then you will probably be in for a shock when you first start playing again. AoC has been around for an extremely long time and so have the players, so the standard is pretty high. Voobly has a new player lobby especially for people who are new to the game, I would highly recommend starting there or at GameRanger where the general skill level of the players is lower. If you are just starting out I would recommend trying maps such as BlackForest or Michi before moving on to harder maps such as Arabia and Megarandom.

You may want to add that voobly is rated whilst gameranger is not.I started out on maps like coastal and continental. I wasn't very skilled, but I like to think I'm decent. If I had been only trying out black forest when I started playing online.. well suffice to say that I would have looked for a faster map or gone back to AOE:Panyway what I'm saying about the maps is: To each his own. Some players only want to play late game big battles-for those, balck forest is pretty good. others like me wanted to rush- basically anything besides black forest was playable.

Can you provide some info on age of chivalry?I have it but I need to install it every time I need to play and after I uninstall it,turbo random map is missing from list of game types in aoc.Is there a way to use both without any hassles?